Chapter 45


    After saying their goodbyes to Mr. Miller, Rome and Catherine got into her car, and Rome drove off.


    Five minutes into the drive, he stared at Catherine and mumbled, "So, what''s the n?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe we can find the nearest boutique and get something to wear." Catherine said, still


    feeling depressed about the conversation that she had with a father.


    Knowing that she was in a bad mood, Rome kept silent, giving her the space she needed.


    After driving for a while, he stopped in front of a boutique that he knew very well.


    "We are here." Rome said, unbuckling his seat belt.


    Then he looked at Catherine, struggling with hers, and he leaned in towards her and unfastened her


    belt.


    "Thanks," Catherine whispered.


    "Are you okay?" Rome asked with concern in his eyes.


    "Yes… Well, no. But I will be."


    "Okay, we should head in."


    A look of excitement crossed Jerry''s face when his boutique door opened, and his gaze rested on


    Rome alongside Catherine walking into the store.


    It took him a minute to pull himself together. Then he darted towards them with a pleasant smile on his


    face.


    "A good evening to you, ma''am and sir. What can I do for you two lovely couples." Jerry said, eyeing


    Catherine before focusing on Rome.


    "Can you direct me to yourdies'' room?" Catherine softly asked.


    "Oh, walk straight down the corridor and stop at thest door on your right," Jerry said, pointing in the


    direction of the hallway.


    With a soft smile, Catherine mumbled, "Thanks." Then she walked away, heading in the direction he


    gave her.


    "Show her your best dresses and whatever she picks, bill it to my card, not hers," Rome said, taking his


    ck card from his pocket.


    "Yes, sir," Jerry said as he epted the card.


    A few minutester, Catherine returned to the shop, and when Rome looked into her eyes, it was clear


    to him that she had been crying.


    But he didn''t ask any questions, not wanting to make her more ufortable.


    "Have you picked a suit?" Catherine asked without looking at him.


    "I was waiting on you." Rome calmly intoned.


    Swaying his gaze towards Catherine, Jerry grinned and asked, "What kind of dress do you prefer?"


    "Anything elegant, but not suffocating," Catherine gently stated.


    Nodding slightly, Jerry focused on Rome and asked, "And you, sir?"


    "Whatever matches with hers," Rome mumbled, feeling a bit bothered that Catherine had not looked


    his way since she came back.


    With a look of excitement on his face, Jerry turned around and said, “Please follow me.”


    Finally, Catherine gazed at Rome, and he took her hand in his without saying a word and walked after


    Jerry with her close by his side.


    When they arrived at a room in the back, Jerry ushered them to the leather couch, and Rome and


    Catherine sat down.


    “I will be back,” Jerry uttered before leaving the room.


    Then he returned a few minutester with two garment bags and handed one to Catherine and the


    other to Rome.


    A whileter, Catherine and Rome got changed in the dressing room, and then, they met Jerry at his


    desk


    “I love this dress,” Catherine said, smiling as she rested her card on the desk.


    “I''m d you do,” Jerry said, picking up the card.


    Then he swiped the card in the payment terminal, knowing that the machine was off.


    Afterward, he gave the card back to Catherine and happily intoned, “Thanks for shopping with us.”


    A few minutester, Catherine and Rome left the boutique, got into the vehicle, and Rome drove them


    to “ssic hotel.”


    After driving for fifteen minutes, he brought the car to a stop in the parking lot, got out of the vehicle,


    and walked over to Catherine.


    "Are you ready?" Rome asked, noticing that she looked a lot more stress.


    "Yes," Catherine said as she held onto his arms.


    Then Rome escorted her into the building and led her into the main hall, where the party was.


    The first person that caught Rome''s attention was his father as he and an elderly fellow with dark hair


    talked.


    ''That should be uncle Asher.'' Rome thought, swaying his gaze at them.


    Then he noticed the members of the Barlow family, standing a few distances away from Catherine and


    him, so he guarded her through the crowd and towards the Barlows.


    The moment they came closer, Rome could see the rage burning in Madame Rosey''s eyes.


    “Look who bothered to show up at thest minute?” Chloe mockingly said, giving Catherine a cold


    stare.


    But she ignored Chloe''s words and approached her grandmother.


    “Rome and I apologize foringte,” Catherine said with her head bow.


    “You know the trouble this family has been facingtely, and you dare leave work to mingle with this


    flop.” Madam Roseyshed out.


    “We are sorry.”


    “Seeing the progress you had made so far, I thought you were finally getting back on the right track and


    bing useful to this family. But I guess it takes a fool to poison the mind of another fool!”


    As Madam Rosey scolded her granddaughter, she wasn''t watching the volume of her voice, and


    people''s attention was slowly getting drawn to them.


    “Mother, please don''t be mad anymore. I have already scolded Catherine over the phone. I''m sure that


    she knows what she has done wrong.” Edward said, pleadingly staring at Madam Rosey.


    Then he turned to Catherine and mumbled, “Say ''sorry'' sincerely to your grandmother so her anger can


    subside.”


    “I''m sorry, grandma.” Catherine humbly said, bowing deeply.


    It was finally clear to Rome why his wife had been in a depressing mood all this while, and he felt rage


    welling up in him.


    Without giving it a second thought, he walked up to Catherine, grabbed her arm, and pulled her up.


    “What are you doing?” Catherine whispered, fixing her teary eyes on his.


    “I should be the one apologizing since I was the one who convinced you to skip work,” Rome said with


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    a smile.


    Then he faced Madam Rosey, bowed slightly, and said, “I''m sorry that my wife offended you because of


    me.”


    At this point, everyone’s gazes were on them, and Mr. Ford nor Asher looked happy about what was


    going on.


    But respecting Rome’s decision, they stood by and watched him bow before the Barlows.


    “Stand up,” Madam Roseymanded with her cold gaze on Rome.


    When he lifted his head and faced her, she scowled at him with hate in her eyes.


    “How dare you interrupt me when I''m scolding my granddaughter.” Madam Roseyshed out, raising


    her hand and swinging towards Rome.


    But Catherine rushed between her husband and her grandmother, and the p hit against her cheek.


    “We are sorry for making grandma this mad. It won''t happen again.” Catherine said, fighting back her


    tears.


    The entire hall went silent as the guest stared in shock, knowing that the daughter-inw of the Ford


    family had been humiliated before their very eyes.


    Anger rolled through Rome as he stared at the mocking smiles on Catherine’s cousin’s lips, the


    pleased expression on her uncle''s and wife’s faces, and the anger in her grandmother''s eyes.


    ‘Enough is enough!’ Rome thought, clutching his fist.